In the field of financial-type business transactions, a commonly used record medium is a passbook or bankbook for maintaining a record of each transaction. The passbook is inserted into a business machine for reading the contents of the passbook, for printing information or data in the passbook, and for recording the printed information or data in the passbook.
In the operation of the business machine for passbook printing therein, the passbook is inserted at the front of the machine and the passbook is then transported or conveyed past a printing station toward the rear of the machine where the current status of the record is read by means of read/write mechanism from a magnetic stripe on the passbook. The passbook is then transported to the printing station for printing operation after which the passbook is again transported toward the rear of the machine where the printed information is recorded by means of the read/write mechanism in a write operation on the magnetic stripe. The passbook is then transported toward the front and out of the business machine.
The passbook includes a magnetic stripe on the back cover thereof and a read/write head is included in the business machine for operating with the magnetic stripe in the reading and writing of information or data regarding the business transaction.
Representative documentation in the field of read/write mechanisms includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,964, issued to O. Kwan on Sept. 7, 1976, which discloses a magnetic head control assembly for a magnetic passbook printing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,203, issued to M. Baba et al. on May 10, 1977, discloses a system for compensating a phase difference between magnetic tracks in a magnetic recorded information regenerating apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,069, issued to O. Kwan et al. on Aug. 2, 1977, discloses a magnetic stripe passbook and scanner for document printing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,945, issued to T. Inoyama et al. on Sept. 4, 1979, discloses versatile automatic transaction equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,127, issued to O. B. King on Jan. 15, 1985, discloses apparatus and method for recording both machine-readable and printed information.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,764, issued to H. Stock on June 23, 1987, discloses a drive mechanism for a magnetic head carriage assembly.
And, U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,713, issued to M. Matsukawa on July 19, 1988, discloses banking terminal equipment having a passbook printer with a magnetic stripe reader.